Speed & Agility

Combination Change of Direction Grid

Decelerate and re-accelerate safely

Speed & Agility
Football Fitness

Decelerate and re-accelerate safely. Set up the area, follow the steps and use the coaching points below.

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Speed & Agility
Football Fitness
Technical Practice
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Full Squad
Minimal Equipment
Foundation Phase
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Combination Play

Age

Under 5 to Adults

Duration

12 min

Players

2-20

Area / pitch size

24 x 24 yards

Difficulty

Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced

Equipment

Cones, Balls

Coaching focus

Decelerate and re-accelerate safely

Objective

  • -Decelerate and re-accelerate safely
  • -Turn off both feet with control
  • -Build agility that transfers to the game

Setup

  1. 1Five cones in a cross pattern in a 24 x 24 yards area.
  2. 2Add a neutral bounce player on each side line inside a marked yard-wide channel.
  3. 3Balls at the central cone.

How to play

  1. 1Player sprints to a called cone, plants and returns to the middle.
  2. 2Every third rep finishes with a pass off the central ball.
  3. 3Rest twice as long as each work rep.
  4. 4The first pass must go into the bounce player before the practice opens up.
  5. 5A sequence only scores when three different players have touched the ball.

Coaching points

  • -Lower the hips to decelerate
  • -Plant on the outside foot
  • -Push off hard on the way back
  • -Third player movement — the pass is set up by the run before it

Progressions

  • +Demand a one-touch set from the bounce player
  • +Raise the demand once the group is consistently successful

Regressions

  • -Allow the bounce player unlimited touches
  • -Simplify the area or the service until success returns

Variations

  • -Bounce players can join the attack once per round
  • -Run the practice on the opposite side of the pitch

Common mistakes

  • -Rounding the turn instead of planting
  • -Working through fatigue
  • -Two players combining over and over while the third stands still

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